Monday, 26 January 2009

Nigel Slater's Ginger Cake

I don't think there is any cake as suited to winter as ginger cake, a slice of this dark, sticky, spicy cake is just what I want when it's cold and dark outside. Ginger cake is quite an old fashioned cake, the kind your Grandma might make. It doesn't look much, in fact it looks positively dull but looks can be deceiving, just wait until you taste it!This version by Nigel Slater contains both ground and stem ginger so it has a real spicy kick to it, the Golden Syrup is what makes this cake so sticky and delicious. What I really like about it is that it only gets better over time, it's hard to resist taking a slice right away but if you can I would recommend that you leave it at least one day in an airtight tin before cutting in to it.I would like to try this recipe again substituting the golden syrup for treacle/molasses to make an even darker cake, lemon zest would make a great addition too.

You will need a square cake tin measuring approximately 20-22cm, lined on the bottom with baking or greaseproof paper.

Set the oven at 180°C/gas mark 3. Sieve the flour with the ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and the salt. Put the golden and ginger syrups and the butter into a small saucepan, and warm over a low heat. Dice the ginger finely then add it to the pan with the sultanas and sugar. Let the mixture bubble gently for a minute, giving it the occasional stir to stop the fruit sticking to the bottom.

Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk and beat gently to break up the egg and mix it into the milk. Remove the butter and sugar mixture from the heat and pour into the flour, stirring smoothly and firmly with a large metal spoon. Mix in the milk and eggs. The mixture should be sloppy, with no trace of flour.

Scoop the mixture into the non-stick or lined cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted into the centre of the cake, comes out clean. Unless you are serving it warm, leave the cake in its tin to cool, then tip out on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Wrap it up again in foil and leave to mature for a day or two before eating.

Oh wow. Golden syrup is not very popular here in the States but I've seen a small can on the top shelf of my grocery store. I didn't buy it because I didn't know what to do with it (perhaps you can post about that? I see Andrea is trying to figure out what to do with it too) Now I have one use, your gorgeous cake!

I, like the other Americans, am unfamiliar with golden syrup. I think it looks and tastes similar to dark corn syrup. I tried "cooked" golden syrup for the first time in a treacle tart - another unfamiliarity to us Americans. Basically it tasted very much like the gooey part to a pecan pie. In any case its sweet and delicious just like this ginger cake must be! I'd love to smear some cream cheese frosting on this cake.

Ginger cake is THE BEST. It really is my favourite. I make mine with treacle and then drizzle with lemon icing but I really like the look of this recipe with the inclusion of stem ginger. Any slices left for me?!